And should you get stung by a bee while you're working in your garden, you can crush up the leaves and hold it on your boo-boo for au naturale relief. It's lovely to behold with an enticing scent. Supporting the beneficial and pollinators improves the overall health of the whole garden resulting in less pest infestations and need for chemical intervention."īee balm: It keeps your homestead pollinators happy and abuzz in superabundance. This native wildflower is typically found growing in prairies, open meadows and along roadsides. A perennial grown in full sun with well-drained soil, it is irresistible to many different species of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and beneficial insects. Pale lavender-pink flowers, green foliage. "All have large, unusual looking flowers that can range from pinks to purples to white. "Stalwart varieties, such as 'Jacob Cline', as well as newer selections, like "Bee-Happy' that are more powdery mildew resistant are all on the market," says Bennett. Because it is a prodigious spreader, some gardeners prefer to plant bee balm in pots. The foliage tends to get brown and scraggly, so you might want to plant it in the back of your garden where the foliage won't show and the flowers can burst forth in all their glory and add radiant pops of color as a backdrop to your summer garden. The main problem with Monarda is powdery mildew, especially in areas with high humidity. It grows from 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) tall and prefers well-drained soil, but will tolerate heavy clay and bog-like situations as well. It has the mint family's trademark square stems and opposite leaves, and blooms best in full sun but is amenable to partial shade. If you are looking for a midsummer star that you and the pollinators will love, bee balm is a great option.Bee balm blooms between June and September depending on the area of the country and is a hardy perennial from USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4-9. However, adequate drainage and good air circulation around plants will go a long way toward preventing powdery mildew. Some gardeners will plant a shorter plant in front of bee balm in their garden beds in order to hide the scraggly looking legs of bee balm. The one complaint about bee balm is a tendency to develop powdery mildew in late summer. didyma and the plants grow 2 to 5 feet tall.īoth types of bee balm handle a variety of soil conditions, from dry to moist. And it’s just as beloved by wildlife as it is by gardeners. fistulosa look more fluffy than those on M. A classic American native and cottage garden favorite, Bee balm is beloved by gardeners not only for its beautiful whorled blooms in red, pink, purple and white but for the evocative fragrance given off by foliage warmed by the sun or touched by the gardener. One of its common names is wild bergamont, and its leaves have a minty scent. Its pink flowers make it a popular garden choice. The other common species of bee balm is Monarda fistulosa, another Minnesota native, which grows wild in dry, open fields and marshes. Monarda didyma produces scarlet-red flowers collared by red-tinged bracts, whereas Monarda fistulosa features light lavender to pinkish-white flowers surrounded by. The cultivar ‘Jacob Cline’, which is resistant to powdery mildew, is widely planted. Members of the mint family (Lamiaceae), Monarda didyma (Bee Balm), and Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot) are the most commonly cultivated of the 16 species native to North America. It’s 2 to 4-inch flowers have many tubular shaped petals. This species can grow up to 6 feet tall, and because of the red flowers, it is very popular with hummingbirds. Monarda didymais a red-flowered variety that’s native to Minnesota. There are two dominant species of Monarda in the garden trade. Bee balm also has a long history of Medicinal use. Bee Balm also attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to your garden making this plant an excellent addition to a pollinator garden. The green foliage of bee balm is also scented. These bee balm plants were about 5 feet tall and stunning.īee balm is plant that’s native to a good portion of the United States and Canada and is very attractive to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The plant produces beautiful flowers in purple, red, pink or white. They combine well with other perennials and grasses, especially in prairie-style plantings. With aromatic foliage and flowers over a long period in summer, bergamots are ideal for any mixed or herbaceous summer border. Check out this beautiful stand of bee balm spotted on the Hennepin County Master Gardeners Tour a week ago. Common name: bee balm, bergamot, Oswego tea. It seems that every year during garden tour season, I spot stands of bee balm that just stop me in my tracks. Bee Balm Scarlet Red Shades is one of the best perennial flowers to grow in bird and butterfly gardens, border fronts, cottage and cutting gardens, herb and. We’ve written about bee balm ( Monarda) on this blog before because, frankly, it’s such a star in the summer garden.
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